I am sitting with four other world racers at a coffee shop in Santa Barbara, California. The thought hits me that one of the most amazing years of my life has finally come to an end. Simultaneously it all seemed to take forever, and also zoom by so fast. I have been changed. I have grown. My passion has been burning brighter than ever before. I have fallen, I have gotten up. I have fallen again :)… and gotten up again.
So what have I learned in this crazy year of new experiences and amazing new friends?
1. Be comfortable in my own skin: learning to love who I am and who God created me to be is so freeing. I still see the areas of my weaknesses and where I need to lean into God’s strength. But I no longer put expectations on myself that aren’t me. Or at least I try not to.
2. Repentance is the starting place to growing closer to God and the Holy Spirit. I read a Kathryn Kuhlman biography at the end of the race and she was just such good friends with the Holy Spirit that people would be healed just standing in her presence. Because the Holy Spirit loved to hang around her because she loved Him and surrendered to Him. So that’s been an amazing revelation in my walk with God, just seeking to be best friends with God. I know all my life I’ve said God is my best friend but my life has not demonstrated it to be true. I’ve started going on walks just talking with God and thanking him for things I love and apologizing for things I’ve let come between us. Haha, and my whole understanding of that has changed too, now I love to repent of things like “Holy Spirit, I’m sorry for my lack of overflowing joy, can you fill me up with some of that?” “I’m sorry for not living more wildly, boldly and adventurously for you, can you empower me by your grace to laugh at impossibilities and run after you with joy wherever you are leading me?”
3. Humility is God’s favourite character trait. This all started from our manistry conversations in Thailand. Joe said something, then we all discussed it and I came to that conclusion. The worst punishments in the bible are for pride and the greatest rewards are for humbly trusting and relying on God. It is inextricably linked with childlikeness and delighted trust. That’s my favourite picture of humility, it’s something I can latch on to. So now I keep giving up my pride to God and asking for childlikeness. I feel like it’s also so important for any relationships and especially marriage. The ability to get over yourself, laugh at folly, learn from mistakes, give up rights and be delighted in God and the people around you.
These three are the biggest things I’ve learned, they will take a lifetime to live out and walk in but I love the process. What things have God taught you this last year?
